Aeroplane.



1. MADEII.

AtROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. II. |916.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. MADER.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. l1. |916.

1,256,812. Patented P61119, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1,. MADER. AEROPLANE.

. APPLICATION FILED AUG-*ITI ISIS.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

JOSEPH MADEE, OE MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AssIGNoE OF ONE-THIED To MEEEITT BRANDON, OEMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

AEBOELANE.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19,' :1918.

Application tiled August 17, 1916. Serial No. 115,405.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH MADEE, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art-,to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to 1mprove aeroplanes and particularly monoplanes; and, to this end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter'de# scribed and defined in the claims. In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters'fina.

parts throughout the severalj v l U f .prOJecbSlightIy rearward of the backbone dicate like views. y

Referring .to the drawings, l

Figure 1 1s a side elevation ofa m vention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section'taken on the line 3 3- of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 isa horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 7, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view, principally in section, taken on the line 6 6- .of Fig. 2, on'an enlarged scale, with the wing The plane of the monoplane illustrated comprises a rectangular backbone member 1 and a pair of wings 2, and has a. rectanguv lar rear end portion and a forwardly ta'- pered front end portion. The backbone member 1 is horizontally disposed and its frame 3 is preferably constructed of steel tubing and its body or covering is made up of two thicknesses of sheet metal or fabric,

plane constructed in accordance wi'th'my in as desired. The covering 4 completely incases the frame 3 and affords smooth upper and lower surfaces, th'us avoiding air pockets.

The wings 2 are preferably constructed in the same manner and of the vsame materials as the backbone member 1 and their frames and coverings are indicated, respectively, by the numerals 5 and 6. Hin e lugs 7 on the frame 3 pivota1ly receive t e inner longitudinal members of the frames 5 of the wings 2 and foldablyconnect said wings to the backbone member 1, as best shown in Figs.

.-2 and 6. J oint strips 8 on the wings 2 overlap the backbone member 1, when said wings are open, and close the openings therebetween. The rear ends of the-wings 2 -terf minate slightly forward of the rear end of the backbone, member 1 and have formed with the` frames 5 frame extensions 9, which ""Ihvframe extensions 9 are-in the same `planes with the wings 2 and their rear trans- .versefmembers afford pivot rods 10 for elebackbone member 1, and the frames and coverings therefor are indicated, respectively, by the numerals 12 and 13.

The backbone member 1 is located between vupper and lower truss rods 15 and 16. These truss rods are extended longitudinally, with respect to the backbone member 1, and are located centrally, with respect to the transverse width thereof. Upper and lower pairs of struts 17 rigidly connect the backbone member 1 .to the truss rods 15 and 16. The inner ends of the struts 17 are rigidly sef cured to the outer longitudinal edge portions of the backbone member 1 and the` outer ends are brought together and rigidly connected to the truss rods 15 and 16.

Those portions of the truss rods 15 and 16, between the pairs of struts 17. located on opposite sides of a line drawn through the angles in the outer longitudinal edges of the wings 2, extend substantially parallel to each other and the backbone 'member 1. lFrom the parallel portions of the truss rods 15 and 16, the same converge both forwardly and rearwardly. The front ends of the truss rods 15 and 16 meet forward of the plane and have rigidly secured thereto half brackets 18, detachably connected by a nutequipped bolt 19. In the sides of the half brackets 18, are half sockets 20 arranged to receive and detachably hold, when the Wings 2 are spread, the `front ends of extensions 21 of the outermembers of the frames 5 of said Wings. v

The wings 2 are rigidly held spread by cables 22 in trussed arrangement. These cables 22 are secured to the truss rods 15 and V16, at the junction of the struts 17 therewith,

in oppositely divergingpairs and the outer ends of the cables of adjacentl pairs are secured by hooks 23 to a common ring 24. These rings 24 are secured to the outer longitudinal edge portions of the wings 2. The connection between each cable 22 and its hook 23 is in the form of a. turnbuckle 25 by which the cable can be placed under the desired tension. The rear ends of the trussV rods 15 and 16 are rigidly connected by an upright rod 26, which is rigidly secured, at its junction with the truss rod 15, to the rear 4end of the backbone member l.

A rectangular frame 27 is rigidly secured, at its intermediate portion,.to the truss rod 16 and has hinged toits side members for vertical swinging movement a pair of wheel brackets 28. On the outer ends of these wheel brackets 28, is a pair of axially alined trunnions 29 on which is journaled a pair of landing wheels 30. These landing wheels 30 are located at the intermediate portion of the horizontal section of the truss rod 16. The wheel brackets 28 are releasably held in horizontal or operative positions by pairs of stay rods 31 hinged toV thelongitudinal edge portions of the backbone member 1 for vertical swinging movement transversely thereof. The outer ends of each pair of stay. rods 31 are brought together and rigidly connected by a head 32. These heads 32 are adapted.

to be turned between pairs of lugs 33 on the outer end portions of the wheel brackets 28, when said wheel brackets are in operai tive position. The heads 32 are detachably secured to the lugs 33 by lock pins 34, adapted to be inserted through bores formed in said heads and lugs.

Depending and converging rods 35, rigidly secured to the front end portion ofthe backbone member 1, have their lower ends rigidly connected to atiord a bearing for a wheel bracket 36 intermediately fnlcrumed thereto. A landing wheel 37 is journaled on the rearwardly projecting end of the wheel bracket 36 and the front end thereof is held raised by acoiled spring 38. which yieldingly supports the wheel 37 from the foremost rod 3,5.

f A controlling post 39 extends transversely4 and centrally through each elevator 11 and has inits ends eyes 40, through which coi. trolling cables, not. shown, may be attached.

Stay rods 41 connect the ends of the controlling post 39 to the four corners of the respective elevator 11. Also extended transversely and centrally through a rudder 42, intermediately pivoted on the rod 26 for horizontal swinging movement, is a controlling post 43. Stay rods 44 connect the ends of the controlling post 43 to the four corners of the rudder 42. Eyes 45 are formed in the ends of the controlling post 43 to receive controlling cables, not shown.

A motor, as shown, inthe form of a multicylinder internal combustion engine, is dia-I grammatically illustrated and indicated as an entirety by the numeral 46. This motor 46 is located entirely below the plane 1-2, at the transverse center thereof, and extends both forward and rearward, with respect to the landing Wheels 30. A bed 47 for the motor 46 is rigidly secured to Ithe adjacent struts 17. A propeller 48 is keyed to the rear projecting end of the crankshaft of the motor 46. `A seat 49 for the operator is supported, from certain of the struts 17, directly l.

- the same.

By constructing the plane with a tapered end, the same goes in the air more gradually, than a machine with a square end, but still maintains its lifting power. As the entire weight of the motor and operator is below the plane, inherent stability isv given the aeroplane. The positioning of the motor and operator is also so arranged as to properly balance the aeroplane. lVhen the aeroplane is at rest on the ground, substantially the entire weight thereof come's on the landing wheels 30 and the landing wheel 37 supports the front end of the aeroplane slightly inclined. The initial lifting movement of the aeroplane from the ground releases the Weight on the landing Wheel 37 and, at which time, the spring 38 contracts and, un-

der the leverage action of the wheel bracket 136, throws the frontend of the aeroplane into `the air. This upward movement of the front end of the aeroplane, at the time the same is leaving the ground, isl very desirable, as it assists in getting the aeroplane into the rudder 42. lVhenthe wings2narefolded,

the propeller 48 and motor-46am. incased by the plane, without having' to dismantle Y the engine, thus making it'an extremely simple matter to ship the aeroplane., It will am bc. noted that when the several parts lof,

the aeroi'ilane are folded, the headsl 32 en- :."Llge the g1 mind and the stay rods 31 afford ieg. for supporting the intermediate portion of the aeroplane out of ntact with the ground.

The mounting of the elevators 11, as shown, makes it possible to set the same in the same plane with the wings 2 or at different angles thereto. It also makes it possible to independently bank the elevators, when the aeroplane is turning a curve. In vol laning, the pointed end of the plane ma es it easy to control the aeroplane.

What lI claim is l. An aeroplane having a plane comprising a .trussed backbone member and wings hinged directly thereto for vertical folding movement, means for holdin the Wings spread, landing' wheels foldaby secured to the trussWork for the backbone member, and a motor secured to said trusswork,. said motor and landing wheels when folded arf ranged to be incased by the plane when its wings are folded.

2. An aeroplane having a plane comprising a trus'sed backbone member and wings hinged directly thereto for vertical folding` movement, means for holding the wings spread, a motor below the backbone member and secured to the trusswork therefor, and landing wheels secured to said trusswork and arranged to be folded onto the motor,

*sa-id motor and landin wheels when folded arranged to be incase by the plane when its wings are folded.

3. An aeroplane having a plane comprlsing a backbone member and wings secured thereto for vertical folding movement, means for holding the wings spread, a rudder carried by the backbone member, and elevators mounted on the wings and arranged to be folded therewith and onto the rudder.

4. An aeroplane having a backbone member and wings foldably secured thereto, upper and lower-longitudinal truss rods, struts connecting the trussrods 'to the' backbone member, and means for securing t'he wings spread.

5. An aeroplane having a backbone member and wings foldably secured thereto, upper and lower longitudinal truss rods, op-

ositely converging struts connecting the .ackbone member to the truss rods, and cable connections bet-weenthe truss rods and wings for holding said wings spread.

6. An aeroplane having a backbone mem- -ber and wings foldably secured thereto, upperand lower longitudinal truss rods, oppositely convergin struts connecting the truss rods to the back one member, and cable connections in trussed arrangement between the truss rodsand wings for holding said wings spread." Y

7. An aeroplane havinga backbone member and forwardly tapered wings foldably secured thereto, upper and. lower longitudinal truss rods, struts connectingthe truss rods to the backbone member, and a bracket connecting the forward ends of the truss rods and wings.

8. An aeroplane having a backbone member and forwardly tapered wings foldably secured thereto,.upper and lower longitudinal truss rods, struts connecting the truss rods to the backbone member, and a bracket rigidly connecting the front ends of the truss rods and detachablv holding the front ends of the wings when spread.

9. An aeroplane having a plane com rising a backbone member and wings foldrzibly secured thereto, the frames of said wings having rear end extensions, and elevators pivoted on the transverse portions of` said rear end extensions with their pivots in the planes of the wings.

l0. An aeroplane having a plane com rising a backbone member and wings fol ably secured thereto, the frames of said wings having rear end extensions, 7elevators pivoted on the transverse portions of said rear end extensions with their ivots in the planes of the wings, and contro ling posts secured to the elevators and extending on opposite sides thereof.

11. An aeroplane having a plane com rising a backbone member and wings fol ably secured thereto, upper and lower longitudlnal truss rods, a vertical rod connecting the rear ends 'of the truss rods, struts connectin the truss rods to the backbone member, an a rudder pivoted to said vertical rod.

12. An aeroplane having a plane comprising backbone member and wings foldably secured thereto, upper and lower longitudinal truss rods, a vertical rod connecting the rear ends O f the truss rods, struts connecting the truss rods lto the backbone member, .a rudder pivoted to said vertical rod, said wings having rear end extensions, and elevators `pvoted on said rear end extensions with their pivotsin the planes of the wings.

13. An aeroplane having a, backb.one..mem berl and wings secured thereto, means for holding. the wings spread, a lower longitudinal .truss rod, upwardly diverging struts connecting the truss rod to the backbonel tially/the same plane with the forwardly inclined portion.- of* the. truss. rod.

. 15.. An aeroplane having a backbone member and wings hinged thereto formvert1ca1 folding movement, means for holding the and wheel brackets are folded, affording 10 wings spread, a lower longitudinal truss nodg" legs for supporting the aeroplane. struts connecting the truss rod to the back- In testimony whereof I aix my signature bone member, landing wheel brackets foldin presence of two witnesses. 5 ably secured to the truss rod, landing Wheels journaled on said brackets, and stay rods JOSEPH MADER. foldably secured to the backbone member lVitnesses: for holding the Wheel brackets in operative HARRY D. KILGoRE, positions, said stay rods, 'when the Wings C. F. KmGoRE.

00N o! thtlpltelt my bl obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner at Patents,

Washington', D. C. 

